A bill that would evenly split child custody in contentious divorce cases is drawing national attention to Tennessee and dividing groups along gender lines.

On one side is a powerful alliance of women's groups, some judges and the Tennessee Bar Association, who say the change would make divorces tougher to settle and give abusive ex-husbands leverage they shouldn't have. Spending half of the time with each parent will also impose impractical schedules on kids, they say.

On the other is a bevy of fathers-rights groups who say children are being deprived of full relationships with both parents. Courts have for far too long ignored laws calling for custody decisions to be made in the best interest of children, they say, and judges are overly influenced by notions about the mother-and-child bond.